Brian Hancock "creative and media director" for the project has a blog and Welcome; comments on upcoming Volvo Ocean race classes: "Innovate, or die."

An 80% canting keel.

Thanks for posting. This is indeed an interesting idea but it seems that it is not working out at least on the first boat. They don't seem to have enough RM. The conditions seem pretty soft, with not too much wind and they have to balance the boat with the weight of the body. Contrary to what I think Murnikov expected, when the keels comes out of water the boat seems to lose quickly stability.

I guess that it is because the keel work as a foil and creates stability even if it was not maximized for that, like on this project (DSS):

Maybe we can combine both projects: Maximizing ballast effect maintaining it at the better angle to provide Max RM while profiling that keel to aerodynamically make a downward force. Maybe it is not much difficult to make a variable profile with small servo electric engines (like on an airplane).

That way it could be possible to maintain the keel always in the better position (slightly inside the water) adjusting the profile to give more or less downwind force according with wind intensity.

For working that way that bulb has to be modified, giving it a much more elongated form, diminishing drag. Like it is, it was made to be out of the water and now it would be inside the water all times.

It seems that they don't go that way and I don't like the way they are going. It seems to me that those wings on the new modified boat will be just to provide more RM trough the displacement of the weight of the crew. That would not work out on a bigger model. In fact if they want to test for a bigger model the way they are doing it makes no sense. The RM provided by the weight of the crew will have in the smaller model a completely disproportionated effect providing much more RM than it would be possible on the bigger boat where the crew will weight proportionally a lot less regarding the total weight of the boat.

The VG will be much slower in 50ft one design boats and I'd like to see some more records in the coming issues. Will there be the possibility to circumnavigate unter 70 days?

Sure....with a multihull. The actual record is 45 days and 13 hours and 42 minutes. Even on a VOR 70 non stop with a crew I guess that they can easily take some days from those 70. It is very different to do it Solo or in a full crewed boat. The boat can also be less forgiving and more faster than an Open 60.

Archambault is building a new A35 (first 2 boats will be ready in late summer):

Better ballast to weight ratio (50 instead of 40%) at the same weight.
Same hull, but lighter deck and interieur with heavier keel.
Bigger sail area and longer mast.
Bowsprit as an Option.
Tiller or 2 wheels (instead of one wheel in the old A35).
2 versions: racing or cruising.
Price for the standard version is 148.000 including VAT...

Did you recognize that the NEO 400 has pivoting berths to balance heel in rough seas?

Having sailed Grand Surprise and 35, those are great sailing boats! Fast, great feel, near perfect amateur crew racing deck layout, and well built. Not an extended cruiser and not ideal undersides in terms of space and ergonomics but a great sailing machine.

Archambault is building a new A35 (first 2 boats will be ready in late summer):

Better ballast to weight ratio (50 instead of 40%) at the same weight.
Same hull, but lighter deck and interieur with heavier keel.
Bigger sail area and longer mast.
Bowsprit as an Option.
Tiller or 2 wheels (instead of one wheel in the old A35).
2 versions: racing or cruising.
Price for the standard version is 148.000 including VAT...
..

I was a bit surprised with that. The boat is a winner, I mean it is still winning everywhere (solo, duo, full crew) and I was thinking how it would be possible to make a better boat.....well it turns out that it is nor really a new boat but an upgrade of the previous one and not only a cosmetic one : They managed to save 150kg making the cabin and deck also using vacuum infusion the technique they used already on the hull.

Talking about the hull, it is the same but curiously they have increased the ballast in 210kg and give it more 10cms of draft. So, diminished weight, more ballast and more draft that means MORE POWER as if the A35 has not already plenty.

Regarding the cosmetic part I am no sure I like more the lines of this one. Maybe the boat looks better than the designs and maybe the better alteration is on the interior, that was already a nice one for a high performance cruiser.

In fact they announce a cruiser and a racer. Maybe the cruiser has a better cruising interior and that would be great because the A35 has already a good cruising interior, in a spartan kind of way.

The new model (drawings) and the older one (photos):

This is going to be a great occasion to buy one of these babies almost new at a discount price. The guys that race this boat seriously on the first league will want the new faster one and the price of the "old" one on the used market is going to come down.

And I saved the best for the end: Archambault was living hard days and it would bankrupt if it was not saved in extremis by a new investor. It seems that things are going well and I am sure this upgrade will be a success making even better a great boat.

Boats keep winning and the A31, a boat that has already some years was elected 2012 IRC boat of the year. I love that boat. If I sailed solo it would be probably the boat that I would chose. Of course with my wife that is a no no

Having sailed Grand Surprise and 35, those are great sailing boats! Fast, great feel, near perfect amateur crew racing deck layout, and well built. Not an extended cruiser and not ideal undersides in terms of space and ergonomics but a great sailing machine.

Never talked here about the Grand Surprise I guess because the model is older than this thread but it is certainly a great boat an hugely popular in France. A regatta boat, a day sailer or weekend cruiser. The boat has about the same size of the A31 but it is an absolutely different boat, narrower, lighter and pointed clearly for crewed racing while the A31 can do that but also be an offshore solo racer with a much better cruising interior, for a much higher price.

Few boats can offer the same performance and fun by the same price. That's why the Grand surprise is so popular among the ones that like sailing fast.

Compare the A31 with the Grand Surprise and you will see that the only thing they have in common is its length:

Thanks PCP. For those that don't know the Grand Surprise, well worth the look as it's a great weekend / race boat.

1 did 2 Bol d'Or on the GS and some daysailing and I have to say it was the first time I've been on a 30 footer and the helm feel felt like my Open 5.00. Reactive like a race car and single finger handling on the tiller. Absolutely great feel and control.

Very good upwind, crosswind and downwind performance - we had a Spi on a pole so had about 32° to 170° performance angles with good speed. Light boat so with a crew you need to anticipate both direction changes as well as crew weight / placement on tacks but that's for racing.

Solid build, good access to foredeck and very predictable behaviour. The cockpit layout is the best I've seen for 4 crew racing. Tiller way back with mainsail trim. Foresal on outbound winches. Pit / Nav, and spi at mast. Lots of space, great ergos, decent protection on a heel.

Only downside is it a light, race first boat so undersides lack stowage and headroom. Think of it as a man's crash pad as opposed to a flat you'd share with a future second half. The one I sailed had a single gas burner, no fridge, and no hot water. Not a big issue on the Leman as most ports have great waterfront restaurants so it's more a crash pad for sleep and then off to the next destination. Camping more than B&B.

If you can sail it one day, I guarantee a *** eatin' grin after 30 seconds with the tiller in hand.

1 did 2 Bol d'Or on the GS and some daysailing and I have to say it was the first time I've been on a 30 footer and the helm feel felt like my Open 5.00. Reactive like a race car and single finger handling on the tiller. Absolutely great feel and control.
...

You can do better as a contributor to this thread. You have an Open 5.00 and didn't post about it on this thread?

Why not? That is a great boat that would interest many and besides it is available in the US also. I have posted about the Open 5.7 the more expensive hard core racing version but not about the 5.0.

The Open 5.00 or Open 500, as it is also known, is on of the last legacies of the great master, Jean Marie Finot, that in the end of his career started to design boats that he thought would be affordable and would give a lot of sailing pleasure. Among them the Pogo 10.50 and the Open 5.00:

Finot says about the boat:

Light, Fast, stable, unsinkable, easy to sail, a boat that allows to go fast with the sensations of a racing dinghy without a capsizing risk.

The boats are made under licence in the US by the same guys that make the mini Pogo racer. They say about the boat:

Whether it's a relaxing day sail with family or a challenging single-handed speed run, the Open 5.00 is an amazing compact sportboat. Like her big brother, the Open 5.70, the 5.00 is fast and agile, but easier to sail and handle - an ideal boat for young or old, beginner or expert.

The Open 5.00 provides the perfect balance between dinghy and keelboat - sailing fast with dinghy-like excitement, without the risk of capsizing. The unique swing keel makes launching the boat a breeze and allows access to places other keel boats cannot venture.

It is a perfect blend all wrapped up in a small manageable package.

As for racing, the new series 5.00 benefits from the active and dynamic Class Association. The class' objective is to bring together those who are passionate about racing, but tired of complications regarding budget, large crews, water depth or expensive storage.

"For the first time in the history of the America’s Cup, young, talented sailors have a clear pathway towards competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in sport. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup opens the door for young sailors to gain the experience they need to contribute to a Cup team.

Racing will take place in the same high performance, wing-sailed AC45 catamarans that are used in the America’s Cup World Series. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is scheduled for August/September 2013, in San Francisco, during the heart of the 34th America’s Cup racing season.

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is open to national teams of six sailors, aged 19 to 24 in 2013. Each crew must hold a valid passport of the country their team represents. Equipment, including the AC45 platform and wing, will be supplied to teams who have their entry accepted."

After talking about the smaller boat it makes sense to talk about all the line of small Open boats by Finot. Why Open? Because the use the same principles that are used on Open60 boats, a type of boat that owns much to Finot creativity.

The boats are beamy, with a huge hull stability and have a very low CG, due to big draft and ballast on a bulb. The advantage over other dinghy classes is the easiness to sail, superior stability and the need of a smaller crew. They can even be sailed solo. The boats are so easy to sail that sailed conservatively can be used as daysailors and take "passengers" and the family.

Finot says regarding the 5.70:

The Open 5,70 is designed for sailing schools, renting, clubs and to be used by young people with a reduced surveillance and, in regatta, by anybody who have passed the age for dinghy acrobatics.

Our goal with the Open 6,50 has been to build stronger and lighter composite structures in order to obtain performances never achieved on sailboats.
Some of these concepts have been tested on our open 50 and 60's..But they usually come at a rather high cost...

With a group of partners from the surroundings of Toulouse, we have developed a new technology to produce a radically lighter boat. A lot of the development and the construction methodology are derived from the Aircraft industry using carbon fiber cured in autoclave.
..
The hull is built with a process called "Autostruct" which allows the construction of the shell, stringers and reinforcement all in one piece. The effort is concentrated on a flawless construction that can be translated into production.
A boat of that dimension half way between a dingy and a cruising sailboat seemed to us the right size to validate this concept.

An Open 60' design for a smaller budget! If you want to be first on the finish line, you'd better be on a groupe Finot design.

The materials, the construction methods for top boat design have greatly improved in the past couple of years. The use of Carbon composites in the hull, the queel wing results in an evolution of the shape of the hulls, the keels and rudders.

The 7.50 Open is a high performance one-design boat. It is currently the faster monohull for its size. The Groupe Finot applied all its experience from the very successfull Open 50' and 60' to develop this great raceboat.

The boat is wide to optimizes the use of the crew weight. The water line is relatively narrow. The good stability of the boat allows the use of large sail area whatever wind conditions. There is a small cabin on the front for the equipment and for protection in the harbor.

The tranportation can be done using a regular road carrier by tilting the boat and retracting the keel.

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